WO2004007843A1

WO2004007843A1 - Building element system

Info

Publication number: WO2004007843A1
Application number: PCT/NO2003/000214
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karl Eric Larsson
Original assignee: Karl Eric Larsson
Priority date: 2002-06-25
Filing date: 2003-06-25
Publication date: 2004-01-22
Also published as: AU2003278615A1; NO20023070D0

Abstract

It is disclosed a wall element with decorative, as well as sound- and peat-proofing properties wherein the element comprises two outer layers (1,2) whereof at least one includes a grid structure being present in a frame ant with at least one upper mounting (5) and resting on a lower mounting (6) and being closed with two side mountings, and between the outer layers (1,2) there being placed a particulate material (3) with decorative properties, e.g. structural and/or color properties. The decorative effect of the element may be varied by selecting the type of particulate material, and the type of material of the particulate mass may also be varied. It is also disclosed a particular kind of filling particulate material comprising a foamed glass material.

Description

BUILDING ELEMENT SYSTEM

The present invention concerns a construction element, a system of such elements for building lasting, protecting and decorative wall constructions, as well as the use of a foamed glass material in such wall constructions. Said wall constructions may e.g. be used for walls preventing observation, as noise-protective elements, as levies, as walls in building constructions and for other purposes.

Previously there are known wall elements comprising two impenetrable outer layers where it between said layers has been filled solid or liquid material (masses), e.g. liquid cement, earth, concrete etc. Where the filling mass compresses and/or solidifies in the space between the two outer layers in the wall . In such systems the mass does not have any decorative purposes, but is provided as a filling material for the cement/concrete or is provided as the filling mass per se.

Such systems and building elements are previously known from DE patent 3.328.644, WO 00/43600, US patent 5.647.695 and US patent 2.113.523.

It is also known to equip the space between the outer walls in such elements with soundproofing and/or heatproofing material in the form of a polymeric organic compound (e.g. polyurethane or polypropylene foam or styrofoam or pellets of such materials) or watted materials (e.g. rockwool or glass wool mats) . In this case the filling materials are usually not observed, and only their technical properties (sound/heat-proofing) are used.

In such previously known wall elements decoration such as paint, ceramic tiles, plates of marble, glass paintings etc. are added to the outsides of the outer layers of the wall elements. However, no known attempts have been made to use the filling material (mass) between the outer layers of the wall as a combined, bracing, isolating and decorative material.

According to the present invention there has now been provided a building element system of the type being indicated supra, and comprising at least one outer layer of a netting or perforated material giving a view to the filling material (mass) between the outer layers, and wherein the space between the outer layers is provided with a particular and solid material, wherein the particles of the filling material are so large that they do not pass through the holes in the netting or the perforated material .

The invention will be disclosed more explicitly under reference to the attached figures showing embodiments of elements structured according to the invention. In the figures

Fig. 1 is a cross section of a wall construction according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a wall construction comprising three wall elements according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a location of such elements as shown in Fig. 2, but placed in a terrain.

Fig. 4 shows an end element being mounted onto either end of either each element or onto the end of an element assembly to enclose the material being present between the outer layers in the elements or in the element assembly.

Fig. 5 shows a side sectional view of a wall assembly wherein a netting element has been placed at a distance from a pre-existing wall, and between the wall an the netting element there has been filled a particular and decorative and optionally isolating material . Fig. 6 shows an embodiment as in Fig. 5, but in perspective .

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the wall element system according to the invention mounted around a pre-existing earth heap, where the embodiment is executed without any supporting central pole.

Fig. 8 shows an embodiment of the wall element system according to the invention mounted with a supporting pole being displaced with respect to the central longitudinal plane of the wall element.

Fig. 9 shows a wall element mounted with a slant of the outer netting layers and with a supporting central pole through the assembly.

With reference to Fig. 1 the wall element according to the invention comprises two outer layers 1,2 whereof at least one of the outer layers 1,2 comprises a perforated plate material and/or a webbing or netting material. The size of the perforations or the meshes of the outer layers 1,2 is selected on the basis of the filling material placed between the layers 1,2 (see infra), but the area of each of the meshings/perforations will lie within the interval 100 - 6400 mm². Each of the meshes/perforations in the outer layers of the wall (the primary netting) may also be divided in a structure of secondary meshes formed by the aid of a smaller netting material being placed inside each individual mesh. The area of the meshes in such a secondary netting material will lie in the interval 1 - 99 mm². If the wall element according to the invention is unsupported, the element in such an embodiment may comprise a supporting pole 7 being placed between the outer layers, and wherein the pole 7 has been driven into the substructure/ground. Such a supporting/bracing pole 7 will preferably be located about the middle plane between the outer layers 1,2, but may also be displaced towards one of the outer layers with respect to such a middle plane.

The shape of the openings, meshes or holes in the outer layers is not critical, but it is preferred that they are square and most preferred quadratic. However, other square shapes may also be appropriate, e.g. rectangular, a parallelogram, rhombic etc. To the extent that the openings/holes in the outer layers are punched out through a plate material, the location of the holes/openings may be included as a part of the decoration of the walls, e.g. so that the material and color of the filling material within may be viewed through the holes i a particular area of the wall element or the wall. This may also be possible where the wall comprises a primary and a secondary netting material .

For the filling material to be observable through the outer layer (s) 1,2 of the wall element, it is of importance that the openings/meshes in the netting/meshing material are not too small, however the meshes in the netting/meshing material must not be so large that the particles in the filling material fall out through these.

The material of outer layers 1,2 must also be selected so that they maintain a certain rigidity in the wall construction. The material of the outer layers 1,2 is preferably a metal such as steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, an aluminum alloy etc., but is may also be a synthetic material such as a plastic material, e.g. hardened plastic, or it may also be a natural material such as wood. It is preferred that the material is galvanized steel.

Furthermore, when the outer layers are made of a meshing or netting material, the rigidity of the outer layers may be increased by the intersection points between the threads in the netting/meshing material being welded, glued or in any other way joined together to provide a rigid structure.

The rigidity of the outer layers 1,2 may also be improved by the layers 1,2 optionally being equipped with longitudinally and/or transversally running braces 4 running across the breadth/height of the outer layers. Such braces 4 will preferably be made of the same material as the outer layers, but it may also be possible to make them out of a different material. As an example the outer layers 1,2 may be made of an aluminum alloy, whereas the braces 4 are made of galvanized steel. The distance between the supporting braces 4 are to a certain extent depending on the netting material and the rigidity thereof so that the location of the supporting braces 4 may be selected by the person skilled in the art based on an estimate of the rigidity of the netting material, the intrinsic self-carrying capacity of the filling material, the slope of the outer layers towards each other, the decorative effect being wanted by the see-through effect to the filling material through the outer layers, etc.

However, the distance between the supporting braces may normally lie in the interval 30 - 150 cm, more preferred 50 - 100 cm, and most preferred 80 cm.

Additionally, the rigidity of the elements and also the assembly of several elements according to the invention may be improved by providing metal plates as end pieces and as connecting structures between different wall elements. Such connecting structures may include securing devices such as bolts, hooks, snapping elements etc..

The filling material being placed between the outer layers 1,2 are, as mentioned supra, a particular material wherein the particle size is larger than the largest mesh in the netting/meshing material in the relevant area of the external layer to which the relevant filling material has been filled. The filling material 3 being placed between the outer layers 1,2 are not necessarily homogenous. By placing a particular material 3, e.g. crushed concrete, between the outer layers 1,2, the main color impression will be gray, and the structure will be edged or coarse. By e.g. fillilng alternating layers with coarse tiles and recirculated (crushed) concrete, the view of the wall element will at a distance appear as a layered structure with an alternating gray and red color. Also other materials are suitable as filling materials with required physical as well as coloring properties. The required physical properties are here that the material should be lasting and must consist of particles that do not fall through the netting structure lying immediately outside the relevant area where the filling material is present in the wall element . For this reason it may be appropriate to equip the wall element according to the invention with areas wherein the meshes are smaller than the other meshes in the netting structure, or the meshes may be equipped with a secondary mesh or netting as explained supra.

Any material meeting these requirements may be used as a filling material in the wall elements according to the invention. Especially suitable may be materials being considered as a rest or waste material from other areas such as recirculated concrete, foamed glass, crushed tiles/slate, bark, dried sewer material, recirculated rubber (e.g from used car tires, natural rock, etc.) .

The use of a particular material, e.g. recirculated concrete, recirculated glass, foamed glass, recirculated rubber material or crushed tiles, will also add to the walls being constructed by similar wall element, that they, in addition to the decorative properties, also have advantageous physical properties. When establishing noise screens, e.g. along heavily trafficked roads, a smooth and hard wall structure will reflect much of the noise so that it will be heard quite clearly in front of the noise wall. By constructing noise walls of a particular material as according to the present invention, the sound will be reflected from each individual plane and edge of the particles in the wall, and this will greatly enhance the interference of the noise and cause the reflected sound waves not to return from the wall uniformly. Such a noise barrier may consequently lower the noise both in front of and behind the wall .

By using nutritional waste materials in the filling mass of the wall element according to the invention, e.g. dried sewer sludge, this may function as a growth material for vegetation. Such vegetation may furthermore function as a decoration of the wall, and may also through its root system, cause the material in the wall to be held in place, By cultivating plants in the wall elements according to the invention, the elements may be constructed with steps being suited for such growth.

An especially preferred material to be used as a filling material in the wall elements according to the present invention, is a foamed glass material providing a lightweight particulate material that is sound-proofing, is weather-resistant, is rigid and is resistant to water. Such a preferred material may be the material being sold under the trademark "Hasopor" . This material has the following properties:

The particle size varies preferably between 10-50 mm. its loose weight is about 180 to 225 kg/m³, its dimensional density (y) in wet state is about 3,25 to 3,80 kN/m³, and its dimensional density (y) in dry state is about 2,95 to 3,50 kN/m³, its sliding angle in particulate form is about 45°, its heat conductivity (λ) is about 0,11 W/mK, and its heat conductivity in a moist, non-packed state lies in the range 0,14 to 0,17 W/mK, its capillary drawing capacity in a packed (20%) state is about 15,4 kg/m², and its capillary rising height (after 22 weeks) is less than 150 mm, load distribution coefficient a = 0,9 and its deviation tension is less than 75 kPa.

These properties make the material well suited for the purpose as a filling material because it is possible to add color to the glass particles enhancing its decorative effect while maintaining its advantageous physical properties as a filling material.

When constructing wall elements as explained supra, it is preferred that the elements are formed in situ at the erecting location. Thereby it are used outer layers 1,2 to impinge against an upper fittings or mountings 5 and a lower fittings or mountings 6 which in one embodiment may be permanently fixed to at least on central pole 7, but which also may be mounted without any central pole. In this way bumps in the basis in the crosswise direction of the wall element will be eliminated. Bumps in the longitudinal direction of the wall assembly will be eliminated by mounting the wall elements stepwise in the terrain, as depicted in Fig. 3.

The fittings or mountings 5,6 (and through these the outer layers 1,2) are preferably mounted around at least one central pole 7 being located as explained supra. By mounting the elements in this way the inclination of the wall (preferably being vertical) will be adjusted and determined. An inclination of the outer layers 1,2 is also shown in Figs. 7-9.

An alternative mounting embodiment of the decorative and optionally isolating and stabilizing material 3 is shown in Figs . 5 and 6 wherein it shown a mounting of a netting layer 1 lying at a distance from a previously existing wall or other form of element 8, e.g. a hinder block or separating element of concrete or cement for traffic. Between the existing wall 8 and the outer layer 1 there may be filled a filling material 3 of the type being disclosed supra .

The mounting of wall elements to each other is preferably performed in a per se conventional and known manner, e.g. with bolts and nuts, screws, clamps, glue, welding etc. It is preferred to use bolts and nuts. The elements may also be connected to each other through he aid coupling irons 9, as shown in Fig. 6.

The wall elements according to the present invention may be assembled and used also as a protecting wall. In such a case the elements may additionally include internal safety structures such as extra layers of metal, concrete, cement etc. that are not visible from the outside of the element on account of the decorative effect of the particulate material .

Wall elements according to the invention may be made in situ at the erecting site of the wall structure, or they may be pre-fabricated elements that may be erected quickly and conveniently at any wanted location.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. Wall element with decorative properties comprising an open grid structure placed in a frame, wherein the grid structure with the frame comprises at least one outer layer (1,2) of the wall element, and wherein the outer layer is secured to a hind-laying structure which may be a building element (8) or an opposite grid structure (1,2), wherein at least each or the external edge(s) of the side(s) are comprised of a covering element, and wherein the space between the external layer (s) and the hind-lying structure (;1,2) carries a particular material (3) wherein the particle size of the material is larger than the largest opening in the immediadely adjacent part of the grid structure in the outer layer (1,2) .

2. .Wall element according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate particular material (3) is comprised of different types of material.

3. Wall element according to clam 2, wherein the particulate material comprises recirculated concrete.

4. Wall element according to claim 2, wherein the particulate material comprises foamed glass.

5. Wall element according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the openings in the grid structure of the outer layers (1,2) comprises a smaller and secondary grid structure.

6. Wall element according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the external netting layers are secured to each other through the aid of at least one upper (5) and one

1ower (6 ) mounting .

7. Wall element according any of the preceding claims , wherein the element comprises one bracing and in the element internal pole (7) .

8. Wall element according to claim 6, wherein the internal pole (7) is placed mainly along the middle plane of the wall element.

9. The use of a netting of aluminum or galvanized steel for producing a wall element with decorative properties according to claim 1.

10. The use of "Hasopor" for producing a decorative wall element according to claim 1.